A Foodie tour of China, this Sample Itinerary takes guests on an incredible tour of Chinese cuisine, from michelin-star restaurants to hole in the wall stalls, get ready to eat your way through China.

1. STAY IMMERSE INDULGE SAVOR
Far East Foddies
Of epic proportions and with a tumultuous but fascinating
history, China is an unfathomable land of contrast and
diversity. Now once again a major player on the global
stage and increasingly accessible to outside visitors
China | Sample Itinerary

2. Mandarin Journeys endorses and is endorsed by only the
most high quality of partner companies, associations and
labels. Below is a short list of some of the affiliations we
are proud to claim.
Pedigree | Quality Matters
XO
Private
With discerning travellers seeking a complete luxury lifestyle experience,
the XO Private platform now comprises not only the finest accommodations
around the globe, but also the most extraordinary experience operators,
yachting and cruise operators, destination specialists, luxury lifestyle events
and even the necessary must haves. The XO Private label is awarded to only
the highest quality operators and hotels worldwide.
Family
Travel
Associa4on
The Family Travel Association is bringing together the leaders in family and
multigenerational travel to inspire families to travel and advocate travel be
an essential part of every child’s education. All members have been
thoroughly vetted to ensure they meet the highest standards of quality and
service. Our goal is to have the public, the media, travel agents, and the
travel industry at large come to recognize and respect these members as
leaders in their respective categories.
Interna4onal
Luxury
Travel
Market
Mandarin Journeys is a frequent guest company at the prestigious ILTM
gatherings taking place around the world and connecting the elite travel
planners and tour operators around the world. As VIP buyers at these
invitation-only events taking place in Cannes (France), Shanghai (China) and
Kyoto (Japan) we have access to the movers and shakers, top hoteliers and
the very best experience providers in the world. As a result our clients get
the best rates, personal service and care.
Other affiliations

3. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
After arriving from your international flight we will meet you at the airport.
From here we will transfer you to your hotel.
We recommend you un-pack, rest and explore around your centrally located accommodation.
Overnight in Beijing
International Arrival in Beijing | Day 1
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:The Opposite House Beijing

4. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
In the morning , begin your tutelage as a student of Dongbei (North East) Chinese cuisine. As the
locals practice Tai Chi and exercise, you will head to a local market to pick up ingredients for a full-
day cooking class.
You will have a chance to shop (and haggle!) with locals as your expert guide tells you what will be
needed for your self-made feast.
Afterwards, head to your cooking school located in a beautiful Beijing Hutong (a small
cobblestone-lined alley found in the old parts of the city). Here, you will learn how to make
traditional dumplings, noodles, and other Dongbei delicacies. For the grand finale, enjoy your
handwork with a lunch on-site surrounded by this authentic setting.
In the evening, enjoy the best Dumpling house in Beijing, Mr.Shi’s Dumpling House, which will
provide you a beautiful hutong setting to dine and enjoy Beijing nightlife.
Overnight in Beijing
Beijing | Day 2
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:The Opposite House Beijing

5. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
Today, will be an experience of ‘farm-to-table dining’ where you will see how organics are taking
hold in the Far East. Enjoy a tour of Beijing’s premier organic farm and see the healthy growth
process at work here.
Then enjoy a picnic on the farm house premises, using fresh ingredients hand-picked by you!
Afterwards, take a tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, your private guide will
discuss the history of these sights, as well as the favorite dishes of China’s past and modern
emperors (from Pu Yi to Mao). Along the way we will take you to our favorite hidden foodie haunts
of Beijing.
To conclude your time with farms and leaders (forever intertwined in Communist China), we will
take you to the restaurant of Mao’s personal chef.
Here, in a sumptuous setting, you will dine on farm-to-table sourced entrées all based on the
personal favorites of the Chairman himself.
Overnight in Beijing
Beijing | Day 3
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:The Opposite House Beijing

6. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
After breakfast, head to one of the largest farmers markets in Beijing to watch as the top
restaurants in the city bid for their daily produce. Afterwards, we will take you to the top Peking
duck restaurant in Beijing. Here you will have a chance to dine the famous Beijing delicacy, carved
before your table, privately, by an expert chef.
Afterwards, head to the Great Wall. Not commonly thought of as a foodie destination, the small
villages around the Mutianyu section of the wall offer travelers a true ‘local taste’ of Dongbei
culture far away from Beijing’s urban foodies. You will enjoy dinner with a local family before
retiring to your Great Wall villa for stunning views of this natural wonder.
Overnight in Mutianyu
Please note that due to recent government regulation, Mutianyu has been placed under slightly
more regimented procedures for visitation. It has been decided that in the interest of logistics,
safety and preserving the Wall NO PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION will be allowed further to the
Mutianyu Great Wall Site.
When visiting the Great Wall at Mutianyu, your private car will park at the Park Visitor Center.
From here you and your guide will take a park shuttle bus to the Wall site. Your private car and
driver will be waiting for you to return from visiting Mutianyu.
Please note to pay for this service a 20RMB per person fee has been instituted by the tourism
authorities.
Please also note due to an agreement between the Brickyard property and the Mutianyu Tourism
Authority, private transportation may be used for any client who is staying at the Brickyard. This is
the only such accommodation with this agreement. Please note the 20RMB per person
surcharge will still be incurred for visiting Mutianyu via Private Car.
Beijing – Great Wall | Day 4
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay: The Brickyard Mutianyu

7. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
From the Great Wall, you will depart for the Beijing International Airport.
From here you will head west into the city of Kashgar, in the Muslim Province of Xinjiang, for a
gourmet and cultural adventure fit to the exquisiteness of Marco Polo.
After checking into your hotel, please rest.
You will have a full day of adventures ahead of you tomorrow.
Overnight in Kashgar
Great Wall - Kashgar | Day 5
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay: Stay at the best local hotel

8. 4/20/15
Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
8
Welcome to the Far West of China! Since the 1300s, Xinjiang has evoked the image of Marco
Polo and the Middle East as a crossroad for Chinese, Arab and Asian Cultures.
Here Arabic script sit side-by-side with Chinese characters, observing camels being used to cross
the dessert, as it is still common in this area. Along with amazing cultural and historical sites, you
will be introduced to some of the best food in China.
For your first day, enjoy the melodic call to prayer and head off to visit a local mosque. The most
notable difference in Xinjiang is the large presence of Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group. Around the
mosque, bakers will be preparing Naan bread stuffed with meat or offal, a delicacy of Xinjiang. You
will be able to witness the intricate and beautiful design of these baked goods as well as trying
your own hand at their construction.
In the afternoon, visit the Old Town of Kashgar. Here, you will be able to witness Uyghur and Tajik
vendors selling wares of beautiful Arabic rugs, stunning Dutars (a ubiquitous stringed instrument
found in Xinjiang) and of course sumptuous fruits, vegetables and meat. The best lamb and
produce exists in Xinjiang and your guide will show you where to find the best of the best!
In the evening, meet a traditional Uyghur family. Here, they will show you step-by-step (with
your guide translating) how to make Laghman, the pulled noodle delicacy which has begun to
bring international fame to Xinjiang province for its amazing texture and taste. Prepare a feast
with your hosts and dine on your creation afterwards.
Overnight in Kashgar
Kashgar | Day 6
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Stay at the best available local hotel

9. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
In the morning, visit Kashgar’s famed animal market.
Occurring every Sunday, this outdoor market is an amazing experience, as you watch Uyghur
farmers buy and sell the livestock they will use for food and agriculture. Your guide will explain to
you the intricate customs and traditions that go into conducting business.
Afterwards, you will be able to dine on some of the freshest lamb, goat, donkey and other animals
that you just saw roaming the market a little
earlier!
In the afternoon you will visit an authentic Uyghur Teahouse. Here enjoy the slow pace of life
amongst Uyghur men chatting about their day and watching pedestrians cross through latticed
windows.
In the evening, visit the Kashgar Night Bazaar.
For your final Kashgar adventure, try your hand behind the grill as you doll out Kebabs to hungry
pedestrians, before sitting down for a well- earned meal yourself!
Make sure to order the Xinjiang delicacy, the Da Pan Ji (or Big Pan Chicken), a fiery mixture of meat
and produce sure to enliven your taste buds.
Overnight in Kashgar.
Kashgar | Day 7
WheretoStay:Stay at the best local hotel
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner

10. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
In the morning, you will drive from Kashgar to Lake Karakul along the Karakoram Highway,
through a stunning landscape of snow-covered mountains and Sand Dunes.
You will arrive at the alpine plateau holding crystal-clear Lake Karakul, one of the highest lakes in
the world at an altitude of 3600 meters. Surrounded by three mountain peaks it truly is a highlight
of China.
For your foodie experience, you will be staying with a traditional Kyrgyz family in a local Yurt (a
domed reinforced tent). These simple structures will buffer you against the wind and cold of the
Himalayan plateau at night.
For your time here you will explore the stunning lake and mountains, before enjoying a traditional
Kyrgyz feast at night of yak milk tea and yak ( meat? Milk?), along with the hospitality of your local
hosts.
Overnight in Karakul
Kashgar – Lake Karakul | Day 8
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Kyrgyz Yurt or best available local hotel

11. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
In the morning, you will have a full day of travel as you return to Kashgar for your flight to Urumqi
and your connecting flight to Chengdu.
You will be leaving the ‘Middle East’ of the Middle Kingdom for the spicy and fiery heaven of
Chengdu.
Here you will enjoy some of the best cuisine and culture in all of China.
Overnight in Chengdu
Karakul – Chengdu | Day 9
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Buddha Zen Hotel

12. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
Today, rest in the morning. If you would like, you may explore the areas around your centrally-
located accommodation.
After you are rested, take a foodie tour of the Wenshu Temple area of Chengdu. Here you will be
able to try local food specialties such as braised rabbit, walnut candy and other Sichuan
favorites.
Your tour will culminate at a restaurant specializing in the Sichuan delicacy of Mapo Dofu (Spicy
Tofu). Enjoy just how flexible tofu is in the hands of trained Sichuan chefs.
In the evening you will enjoy cooking at the hands of a true Sichuan master at Yu’s Family
Kitchen.
This now internationally recognized Sichuan eatery is credited with bringing Sichuan cuisine
recognition on a global scale.
Overnight in Chengdu
Chengdu | Day 10
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Buddha Zen Hotel

13. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
In the morning, please rise early. You will be enjoying a tour of the little-seen Chengdu Spice
Market. Here you can watch as chefs and traders barter over the seasonings which make Chengdu’s
world-famous heat.
Afterwards, you will enjoy a full-day cooking class in Chengdu. You can do your shopping with
your guide at a local wet market, or have ingredients chosen for you. Enjoy being a pupil of a
master chef and learning how to control and subdue Sichuan heat in your very own cooking.
To conclude, in the evening, a private dinner and training session with a Kung Fu Master will be
arranged.
While food tourism has put Chengdu on the map, this will be an opportunity for you to witness how
food and culture have intersected for hundreds of years in Chengdu while also learning more about
this ancient and misunderstood martial art-form.
Overnight in Chengdu
Chengdu | Day 11
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Buddha Zen Hotel

14. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
In the morning you will fly from Chengdu to Lijiang, crossing over from Sichuan culture into
Yunnan’s varied rituals and traditions.
After checking into your hotel, you will have your first foodie adventure.
Venture out with your private guide and a local botanist to search for wild mushrooms, Yunnan’s
most prized delicacy. A full day of foraging will be before you.
Afterwards, you can take your prized findings to a local market to barter and talk shop with local
fungus retailers.
In the evening, venture out to the quaint village of Baisha, where you can enjoy a traditional
Yunnan meal.
We’ll also introduce you to the good people of ‘Chine Chine’, a quaint little café in the heart of
Baisha where a group of Europeans set up a wonderful little wine-bar in total harmony with the
local people.
Overnight in Lijiang
Chengdu – Lijiang | Day 12
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Banyan Tree Lijiang

15. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
In the morning, explore the old town of Lijiang before the tourists arrive. In this peace and serenity,
enjoy an authentic and hardy Chinese breakfast. You’ll need the fuel for your adventure ahead.
Today we will venture to Tiger Leaping Gorge, it is a stunning view though it will require some
hiking.
You can rest at the “Halfway House” A wonderful restaurant and lodge at a convenient
location along the gorge (please dine locally here).Here, you will enjoy a great meal and one of
the most stunning views of all China. Afterwards, we can pick you up and return you to Ljjiang.
In the evening, enjoy a street food tour to taste some of Yunnan’s more ‘off the cuff’ treats.
Here you’ll be able to sample such dishes as tree bark, fried dragonflies, and spicy chicken jelly. To
reward you as adventurous eaters we’ll take you to the best restaurant for local Na’xi fare for a
farewell Yunnan feast.
Overnight in Lijiang
Day trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge | Day 13
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Banyan Tree Lijiang

16. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
Say good-bye to Yunnan and China.
In the morning we will fly you from Lijiang to Hong Kong. Please arrive to Hong Kong and take a
taxi to your hotel.
We recommend this option as to save on cost, as private cars in Hong Kong are quite expensive. If
you would like to be greeted at the airport and have a private car, we are happy to arrange this
service too.
In the afternoon, hit the ground running, as you enjoy a foodie tour of Hong Kong.
From the best street food and Dim Sum, to other Cantonese delicacies, we will make sure you
leave Hong Kong with an intimate understanding of Hong Kong’s extensive food culture.
In the evening, enjoy one of several Michelin starred dining experiences chosen to personally
cater to your tastes.
Overnight in Hong Kong
Lijang – Hong Kong | Day 14
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

17. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
Frequented by both locals, revered chefs and movie stars, Hong Kong’s wet markets are a hidden
joy.
With your guide, you will tour these lively trading sites and have a chance to try some of Hong
Kong’s freshest produce.
Afterwards, if you would like to work off the calories from your foodie tour, for outstanding
urban hiking, we recommend you explore the ‘Dragon’s Back’.
This hiking trail, overlooking Hong Kong and Shek-O beach, is consistently thought of as one of the
best views and experiences Hong Kong has to offer.
In the evening, from either a skyscraper or beach shore, you will enjoy a stunning seafood feast
overlooking picturesque Victoria Harbor.
Overnight in Hong Kong
Hong Kong | Day 15
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

18. Mandarin
Journeys
Asia
In the morning, please enjoy a final sumptuous meal of Dim Sum and a sip of milk tea.
Afterwards you will fly to Taiwan, one of the most overlooked foodie destinations in Asia.
In the afternoon, you will sup on Taiwan’s national dish of Niu Rou Mian (beef noodle soup.)
Though all locals will have an opinion on which shop offers the best, we will be providing you
our own insight as to who serves the best noodles of Taipei.
Taiwan also has some of the best night markets in all of Asia.
In the evening, we will take you to two of our favorites, the student-oriented Shi da Night Market,
and the foodie mecca of Keelung Miaokou.
After a full belly (and perhaps a couple glasses of the local brew) you will return to your hotel.
Overnight in Taipei
Hong Kong – Taipei | Day 16
The Meal Plan for Today
ü Breakfast
ü Lunch
ü Dinner
WheretoStay:Les Suites Tapei

19. STAY IMMERSE INDULGE SAVOR
A customized top holiday experience is a considerable
investment. We urge you to research our credentials and
make sure we are the right agency for you before committing
to a holiday. That will involve speaking to us of course, but
also checking our references carefully.
Reviews | What clients say
MJ
planned
an
excellent
leisure
trip
for
me
to
Japan
and
China
in
July-­‐August
2014.
The
trip
was
2
weeks
and
included
all
hotels,
both
long
haul
and
short
hall
flights,
trains,
local
transportaHon,
dinner
reservaHons
each
night,
and
full
day
guides
in
each
city.
CiHes
visited
included
Tokyo,
Kyoto,
Beijing,
Shanghai
and
Hong
Kong.
The
trip
was
planned
and
executed
flawlessly.
There
was
not
one
detail,
reservaHon,
travel
arrangement
that
was
miscommunicated
or
out
of
order.
For
this
to
occur
on
a
two
week,
complex,
internaHonal
iHnerary
speaks
volumes
to
the
quality,
reliability,
and
thoroughness
of
Marc
and
Mandarin
Journeys.
The
guides
in
each
city
superb
and
highly
knowledgeable
re.
the
local
sights,
culture,
languages,
and
transportaHon.
Stayed
in
a
older
courtyard
house/hotel
in
Beijing
(Hans
Royal
Garden)
and
300
year
old
Ryokan
in
Kyoto.
The
trip
was
thoroughly
enjoyed.
MJ
even
arranged
vintage
motorcycles
with
side
cars
as
the
transportaHon
from
central
Beijing
to
a
non
touristy,
less
travelled
part
of
the
Great
Wall.
I
highly
recommend
Mandarin
Journeys
for
anyone
that
wants
a
non
touristy,
comprehensive
trip
to
the
Far
East
Mr
Steve
Randich
–
CIO
Finra,
former
CIO
CiHgroup
Our
family
recently
used
Mandarin
Journeys
for
a
3-­‐week/5
desHnaHons
trip
to
China
and
Thailand,
and
we
highly
recommend
them.
They
were
a[enHve
and
responsive
during
the
planning
process,
which
for
us
involved
mulHple
changes
along
the
way,
and
they
helped
us
manage
everything
seamlessly.
They
designed
a
premium,
customized
program
with
acHviHes
suited
to
us
and
expert
guides
who
completely
enhanced
the
experience.
And
they
were
in
touch
throughout
to
ensure
things
went
according
to
plan.
They
took
the
Hme
to
understand
what
we
were
looking
for
and
delivered
beyond
our
expectaHons.
I'm
sure
we
will
be
"repeat"
customers.
Mrs
Mary
Gerzema
&
John
Gerzema
–
VP
Global
Media
at
The
Estee
Lauder
Companies
&
NYT
Bestselling
Author
Read dozens more independent reviews on LinkedIn
Wish to speak to a past client?
We will be happy to provide references